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New pension scheme for govt staff
Qualifying Service for Pension
Yamuna wreaks havoc on crops
Power Tariff Hike
Blood bank refused licence
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Still a proposal: Surjewala
Rising Crime in Gurgaon
Chemist commits suicide, ASI suspended
Rs 3 lakh looted at gunpoint
Couple dies in roof collapse
Boy assaulted by father, dies
Student held with heroin worth Rs 1 cr
Man held with 2.5 kg opium
MC digging work disrupts phone services
High Court
Kidney case adjourned
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New pension scheme for govt staff
Chandigarh, August 18 A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today. The new pension scheme will be implemented on the pattern of the central government and will be known as the Haryana New Pension Scheme, 2008. It will work on a defined contribution basis and will have two tiers. A contribution of 10 per cent of the basic pay plus dearness pay and allowance to tier-I is mandatory for all government employees who have joined service on or after January 1, 2006. A matching contribution will be made by the government for each employee who contributes to the scheme. The tier-II of the new pension scheme will not be operational at present and no recoveries will be made from the salaries of the government employees on this account. Nomination will be filled at the time of admission to the new pension scheme and will be revised immediately as and when required (that is marriage of the subscriber) and thereafter once in every five years. Recovery from pay bills of the employee will be made only after obtaining the Permanent Pension Account Number from the accountant-general (accounts and entitlement), Haryana. The schedule of recovery will be attached to the pay bill showing the contribution of new pension scheme. A schedule of matching contribution will be prepared by the drawing and disbursing officer and attached with the pay bill. The accountant-general will issue an annual statement of the deposit of each individual account holder after allowing interest thereon at the rate decided by the government. The heads of the department concerned will get the PPAN for government servants who have joined service on or after January 1, 2006, within a month from the date of issue of this notification. Meanwhile, the cabinet also decided to transfer land measuring 132 acres and two kanals, including moveable and immovable assets, of the erstwhile Cooperative Sugar Mill, Sirsa, to HAFED at a token cost of Re 1 for its proper utilisation. A decision to this effect was taken because the sugar mill was not found to be viable due to non-availability of sugarcane. A decision was taken by the government on August 14, 2005, to close and wind up the mill. The cabinet also decided to give regular promotion to Krishan Kumar, an ad hoc police inspector, from the date he was promoted as inspector on an ad hoc basis. It was decided to give on lease shamlat land of six villages in Jhajjar district and shamlat land of 14 villages in Rewari district to the Bharti Trust, New Delhi, to establish Satya Bharti schools. The cabinet also decided to accord approval to the proposals of panchayats to sell land for various purposes. The cabinet also reviewed and approved the annual administrative report of the industrial training and vocational education department for 2005-06. It was decided to convene the next session of the state assembly on September 1 for three days. |
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Qualifying Service for Pension
Chandigarh, August 18 Prior to the order, the period spent on ad hoc or work charge basis was counted for pension, while period spent on contract basis was not counted for calculating qualifying service. The significance of the order is that contract period will now be taken into consideration for calculating an employee’s qualifying service for the purpose of pension. The ruling by a Division Bench, comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Rakesh Kumar Garg, comes on a petition filed by two employees Rai Singh and Baldev Singh against Kurukshetra University (KU). They were seeking the quashing of a clause in the KU Employees Pension Scheme/Rules of 1997, providing that period spent on contract basis was not to be counted as qualifying service for pension. Pronouncing the orders, the Bench ruled: “We allow this writ petition and declare that contractual employees, who have rendered continuous service ignoring nominal breaks in a pensionable establishment, will be entitled to be treated at par with the ad hoc employees in such establishments for counting their qualifying service for pension. Referring to the case in hand, the Bench observed the petitioners were appointed as daily wagers. But the nomenclature of their appointment was changed to security men on contract basis. The petitioners continued to work in the capacity of security men till their services were regularised as per the Haryana Government’s policy dated October 1, 2003. Elaborating on the provisions under challenge in the writ petition, the Bench added under it employees completing 10 years of qualifying service were entitled to pension. But contract period was not counted for calculating qualifying service. After going through the record, the Judges held: “Once the employees have been regularised and are held entitled to pension by counting ad hoc service, exclusion of service on contract basis will be discrimination.” The Judges also held: “Appointment on contract basis is a type of ad hoc service. Mere fact that nominal breaks are given or lesser pay is given or increments are not given is no ground to treat the said service differently. “Beneficial provisions for pension having been extended to ad hoc employees, the denial of the said benefit to the employees working on contract basis, who also stand on the same footing as the employees appointed on ad hoc basis, cannot be held to be having any rational basis”. Notice of motion
Taking up a petition claiming that the three lifts installed in the Hisar mini-secretariat had turned non-functional, the Bench of Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Surya Kant has issued notice of motion to the State of Haryana and others for August 20. In his petition, Hisar-based advocate Dev Raj submitted that there were about 40 offices on different floors and visitors were finding it hard enough to climb up the stairs. |
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Yamuna wreaks havoc on crops
Sonepat, August 18 Villagers in the catchment areas of the Yamuna said about 1.50 lakh cusecs of water had reportedly been released into the Yamuna and it was likely to reach Sonepat areas in the wee hours tomorrow. However, superintendent engineer of the irrigation department M.K. Lamba said around 1.20 lakh cusecs would reach the district and “there is no need to panic”. The situation would become normal within 72 hours, he said, adding that before the onset of the monsoon, the banks of the river had been strengthened with stone studs. Meanwhile, a team of the district administration, led by naib tehsildar Hari Om Atre, visited the affected villages to assess the situation as well as the loss. With the help of villagers and various departments, round-the-clock vigil was being maintained on the embankments of the Yamuna, Atre said, adding that the situation was being monitored through the flood-control room. Interestingly, farmers of some villages feel that the flow of the Yamuna waters into the fields will increase the fertility of the soil and will especially be beneficial for crops like sugarcane and paddy. YAMUNANAGAR: Keeping in view the rise in the water level of the Yamuna, the water services division of the district on Monday decided to spend a sum of Rs 1.44 crore on the construction of bundhs on rivulets as well as the river. The decision was taken by the administration after reviewing the situation. The water level of the Yamuna was around 88,000 cusecs on Monday. The maximum level was recorded last Thursday when the water level had reached 1.44 lakh cusecs. |
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Power Tariff Hike
Panchkula, August 18 In fact, the electricity tariff was the highest in Haryana and the services were meant for rich and influential only, he said. The proposed hike would result in an increase of 45 per cent in the electricity bills of the consumers, he said. Sampat Singh appeared before the commission to plead against the proposed hike in the power tariff here today. The HERC led by chairman Bhaskar Chatterjee was hearing objections, suggestions and comments regarding the proposed hike in the power tariff of domestic, non-domestic and industrial consumers in Indradhanush auditorium. The hearing of former minister witnessed frequent commotions whenever the commission asked the INLD leader to wind up his ‘speech’ that lasted till 5.15 pm even as he was asked to present his case first of all at 11.30 am. Apprehending pressure on the commission from the government, the INLD leader said though the commission could not form an advisory committee in violation with Section 87 of the Electricity Act 2003, it could use powers vested within it to thwart any pressure on it. The Electricity Act provides for the constitution of a state advisory committee, which shall advice the HERC on major questions of the policy. However, the state advisory committee had not been set up so far, said Sampat Singh. The committee could not be set up because the names of members sent by the commission to the government did not suit to the people in power, he said. Former minister, who pleaded the case for more than five hours before the commission, said the consumer could not be charged for the services he is not provided with. Quoting an example, he said the licensee was supposed to register the complaints of consumer through computerised system, but there was no such system in any corner of the state. A total of 873 applications were received by the commission on its recent notice regarding the proposed hike in the power tariff. |
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Blood bank refused licence
Fatehabad, August 18 The blood storage centre of the hospital is often short of blood units. Pointing out several shortcomings, a team of drug control officers from the CDSCO, Ghaziabad, and state drugs control office has asked the health authorities to overcome these before approaching them for licence. Besides the class IV staff, a blood bank should have a pathologist, four lab technicians and two staff nurses. However, the local blood bank has none of these. Presently, the hospital authorities have been running a blood storage centre in the building meant for the blood bank and some laboratory technicians of the general hospital have been sent on deputation there. Besides, the blood bank does not have special refrigerators meant for storage of blood with provisions of temperature display and temperature recording device. The size of various rooms is also not in accordance with the rules. A team comprising drugs inspector, CDSCO, Gulshan Taneja and senior drugs control officer, Hisar, Lal Chand Mittal has asked the hospital authorities to overcome these shortcomings before the next inspection. The issue of blood bank in the hospital is hanging fire for the past five years. The building for the blood bank, which was lying useless for the past five years, was recently turned into a blood storage centre. The centre is used for storing blood brought from Hisar. However, the blood storage centre is often short of blood units and kin of patients have to go to Hisar or Sirsa to fetch blood. Further, the blood storage centre has the provision of storing whole blood only. Components of blood are not available here. At least 600 persons are admitted to the general hospital daily, but the hospital has only 60 beds. Besides, patients admitted in over 24 private hospitals too depend on the blood storage centre for their requirement. |
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Still a proposal: Surjewala
Chandigarh, August 18 Addressing a press conference here today, Surjewala said the tariff revision submitted by power distribution companies to the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) was simply a proposal and HERC might accept it, reject it or amend it. He said the agriculture sector had been completely exempted from the revision while INLD supremo Chautala had increased tariff for the agriculture sector from 23 paise per unit to 50 paise per unit for the first slab and from 50 paise to 65 paise for the second slab. Chautala later reduced these rates to 25 paise per unit in the election year, obviously to gain political mileage. The present government kept these rates intact, he added. Repeatedly asserting that the interest of the common and poor consumers had been kept in mind while framing the proposal, Surjewala emphasised that the proposed hike in tariff rates was for those, who had the capacity to pay. “The proposal is based on the principle that rich must pay and there is cross subsidy for the poor,” he added, justifying the proposed hike. He said tariff rates for small domestic consumers had been decreased by 13 paise. Now, they would have to pay Rs 2.50 per unit for zero to 60 units, Rs 3.65 per unit for 61 to 300 units and Rs 4.55 per unit for above 300 units. The proposed rates “spared” 17.90 lakh domestic consumers out of a total 34.67 lakh consumers. He said the same formula had also been adopted for commercial consumers. Stating that Chautala had increased the rates for this category by 27 paise per unit, the minister explained that this category of consumers would have to pay Rs 4.00 per units for zero to 100 units, Rs 4.40 per unit for 101 to 250 units and Rs 5.60 per unit for above 250 units as per the new proposal. Thus, the tariff rates for the consumers using up to 100 units had been decreased by 19 paise per unit benefiting 3.12 lakh commercial consumers. Similarly, low tension industrial consumers would have to pay Rs 4.35 per unit for zero to 500 units and Rs 4.75 per unit for above 500 units and high tension industrial consumers would have to pay Rs 4.75 per unit as per proposal, Surjewala stated. He added that Chautala had increased the tariff rates for LT industries from Rs 3.92 per unit in 1998-99 to Rs 4.28 per unit in 2001-02, making an increase of 36 paise per unit. |
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Rising Crime in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, August 18 Alleging “apathetic behaviour” of the SHOs concerned, the protesters, comprising members of the RWAs of Sectors 21, 22 and 23, and Palam Vihar alleged that FIRs related to robbery an theft incidents were not being lodged at police stations. Since criminals went away scot-free, the number of criminal incidents had increased, particularly under the jurisdiction of the Palam Vihar police station, they added, pointing out its poor record of cracking criminal cases. They demanded the suspension of the SHO of the Palam Vihar police station for dereliction of duty. The residents, led by chairman of the Joint Action Forum of Residents Associations Ratan Singh, chairman of the Federation of Resident Welfare Associations Dharam Chand Sagar, president of the Gurgaon Citizen Council R.S. Rathi, president of the Sanyukt Kalyan Parishad Harjinder Singh and former president of the Gurgaon Industrial Association J.N. Mangla held a demonstration outside the office of the commissioner of police for about an hour. After listening to the protesters, commissioner of police Mohinder Lal said he had directed an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) to investigate the allegations against the SHO concerned and action would be taken on the basis of the report by the ACP. He suspected that a gang of illegal Bangladeshi nationals, headed by a Nepalese, might have committed the robbery in Palam Vihar. Some members of the gang were released recently on bail from Tihar Jail. He did not rule out involvement of another gang comprising criminals from Bihar. |
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Chemist commits suicide, ASI suspended
Yamunanagar, August 18 The chemist, Tarun Batra, ended his life yesterday by consuming celphos. Sources said the ASI, who wanted to frame Batra in a false rape case, allegedly harassed him. Batra’s wife Dimple alleged that the police had called her husband a number of times to the police station to falsely implicate him. She further said policemen allegedly took Rs 60,000 from her husband and also tortured him. The ASI had been allegedly harassing her husband on one pretext or another since June, she added. She said just three days ago, her husband had got a job of a principal in a private school here. She came to know about the incident when she tried to contact her husband on his mobile. However, a constable picked up the phone and said Batra had consumed poison and was lying unconscious near Wudhiyan Bridge. However, when Dimple reached there, Batra was already dead. SP C.S. Rao said an inquiry had been ordered against the accused. DSP Ram Chander had been entrusted the task to conduct the inquiry, he added. |
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Rs 3 lakh looted at gunpoint
Jhajjar, August 18 The police has registered a case of robbery on the complaint of petrol station manager Ram Bilas. The police has also released sketches of the robbers and announced a reward of Rs 5,100 to anyone giving information about them. According to Ram Bilas, he was asleep in his house situated opposite the petrol station when two armed persons knocked at his door. When he opened the door and came out out of his house, the duo overpowered him and took away the key of an almirah at gunpoint. Thereafter, they took out Rs 3 lakh and four mobile phones from the almirah. The robbers confined him in the room before fleeing. After the incident, he started shouting and neighbours reached the house. |
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Couple dies in roof collapse
Kaithal, August 18 The deceased, Tilak Raj and his wife Seema, were sleeping in their house near the old vegetable market here when the old roof of the room collapsed and they got buried under the debris. The neighbours tried to save the couple, but all in vain. They also informed the local officials, who rushed to the spot. The victims were extricated from the debris and rushed to a hospital, but both of them succumbed their injuries. |
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Boy assaulted by father, dies
Jind, August 18 The accused, Shiv Kumar, a resident of Uchana village, is an alcoholic and had a quarrel with his wife before he allegedly caught hold of the boy and assaulted him on the neck. The quarrel had reportedly taken place over his drinking habit. The police has registered a case under Section 304-B of the IPC against the accused. Meanwhile, the police has arrested one person in connection with the murder of a trader, Mahavir Mittal, who was shot dead at his office-cum- hop in Narwana town on Saturday. |
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Student held with heroin worth Rs 1 cr
Jind, August 18 The value of the contraband is reported to be over Rs 1 crore in the international market. The police said it got information around noon today that a youth was reaching the college campus along with heroin and laid a trap near the main gate. The youth, identified as Pramod, was nabbed along with the contraband and a toy pistol. The police said the accused, aged about 21 years, was a second- year student of Government Polytechnic Institute, Nilokheri. |
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Man held with 2.5 kg opium
Sirsa, August 18 As soon as the accused, Natha Singh, disembarked from a roadways bus today, a police party stopped him and checked a bag held by him in his hands. The bag contained 2.5 kg of the contraband in it. The police has arrested the accused, a resident of Ellenabad in this district, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. |
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MC digging work disrupts phone services
Faridabad, August 18 The MCF today dug trenches to set up a sewer line, damaging underground telephone cables in the process and resulting in the disruption of services of more than 400 telephone connections. A large number of residents gathered outside the BSNL office at the NIT in protest against the disruption of the telephone services. When the matter was investigated, it was found that the underground cable wire had been damaged. The BSNL authorities alleged that they were not informed by the MCF before digging the trenches. Had they done so, the department could have found a way out to avoid the damage. |
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High Court
Chandigarh, August 18 In his petition,
Hisar-based advocate Dev Raj submitted that there were about 40 offices on different floors and visitors were finding it hard enough to climb up the stairs. |
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Kidney case adjourned
Ambala, August 18 Special Magistrate Abdul Majid adjourned the hearing in the case for August 26 following the suspension of court work due to the death of a young member of the Ambala Bar Association. The arguments on framing charges against the accused will be start as soon as the case is committed to the sessions court of the CBI. |
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